Live2believe

He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. (1 John 3:8,9). Your explanatioin suggests that Yahshua the Messiah failed to destroy the works of the devil, because according to your words ALL believers commit sins (and therefore are still of the devil). 1 John 2:1 is not talking to the believers who are born again. It is possible, and common, to believe and not be born of God. They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away. (Luke 8:13). When Paul said, "But now, no longer am I the one doing it, but sin that dwells in me.", he was describing his state under the Old Covenant, BEFORE he received the Holy Spirit.

I think we are saying the same thing.

I would say "intentionally offensive". If I tell a joke without no idea it can offend a person, even if it does it is not a sin. Sin is transgression of the law. I love the person whom I told the joke to, and I told him this joke to make him laugh, not to offend. I did not break the law of Love. However, if I don't apologise to him after he told me that I hurt his feelings, it would be sin. Would you agree?

The truth is that clean jokes are not offensive with rare exceptions. A born again believer who has a gift of telling jokes would do it to help people, brighten their life even if for a moment, not from the wickedness of his heart but from the Love of Yahshua in his born again heart. Thinking that telling jokes is sin has no foundation in the Scroptures, unless it is intentionally done to offend someone.

Nothing reckless, inconsiderate, and/or irresponsible. Just an accident. Unless you think that eating 1-2 burgers per week is reckless and, therefore, sin.

Imagine that you tell this joke about the chicken crossing a road, and someone had a traumatic experience of witnessing how a car ran over a chicken on a road. You see, you caused pain to that person or sinned according to your belief. However, I don't consider this sin. Sin is transgression of the law (1 John 3:4). Law within a person is conscience (Romans 2:14,15). Law would be doing something against the conscience. And it is not telling a clean joke with the intention of making people feel better, although sometimes someone somewhere may be affected.

Yes, we have to take care that we not harm or offend others. However, accidents happen. Accidental harm is not sin. In the example with todler, I was not even aware of this todler existence. If I had a heart attack and fell on this todler because of that, is this sin? Are you sure you understand what sin is?

When I tell jokes to people I do it out of love without the slightest motivation to offend a person. Therefore, it is not sin. No divine law is broken.

Almost every joke can be percieved as offensive if a person is hyper-sensitive. This does not make telling a joke a sin. Sin would be telling a joke knowing it can offend a person. Let me ask you a somewhat related question. I am invited to the house, and I trip over a todler who is playing on the floor because I did not notice him. The todler cries from pain. Did I commit a sin?

I did not see any problem.

I agree. What if a believer loves his neighbor and wants to make him laugh by telling a joke? Does this make telling a joke sin?

Nicodemus and other pharisees spent a lifetime researching and studying the Word of God, but did they understand it? What do you know about my motives?

I did not ignore them. Just the oposite, I quoted all these Scriptures you presented and showed that your interpretation of them was incorrect.

Please help me understand which law we are under and how telling a joke will be transgressing this law.

Previously you wrote that Paul said that "he killed his flesh daily and dealt with temptations to sin all of the time". Let's investigate the scriptures you listed in context. Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? why are they then baptized for the dead? And why stand we in jeopardy every hour? I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily. If after the manner of men I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantageth it me, if the dead rise not? let us eat and drink; for to morrow we die. (1 Corinthians 15:29-32) Paul is saying that he dies daily by endangering his life fighting with beasts, and if there is no resurrection his trials are in vain. He is NOT saying that he killed his flesh daily (fighting with sin). And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts (Galatians 5:24) Paul is saying that the believers HAVE crucified the flesh (it has been done, completed), NOT that they are doing this daily. In Romans chapter 7, Paul described how he dealt with temptations to sin, but it was not all of the time. In Romans chapter 7, Paul described himself BEFORE the Holy Spirit came, for contrast. And in chapter 8 he shows the change the Holy Spirit made. Please compare: What a poor man I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? I thank my God by Jesus Christ our Lord. Therefore the same I with my mind serve the law of God, but with my flesh the law of sin. (Romans 7:24,25) There is therefore now no condemnation to those who in Christ Jesus, who do not live according to the flesh, but according to the spirit, because the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set me free from the law of sin and death. (Romans 8:1,2) Also, please consider Romans 6: Thanks be to God that you, who were formerly slaves to sin, have have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which you were entrusted. But then made free from sin, you became the servants of righteousness. (Romans 6:17,18). Notice that Paul speaks of himself in chapter 7 as a captive of sin, and in chapters 6 and 8 as having been delivered from the captivity of sin.